


Mentha

by secretkeeper18



Series: Reverse Hades/Persephone AU [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Based on the myth of Minthe, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Fluff, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Jealousy, Language of Flowers, M/M, Minako Mari and Yuuko are the Furies, Nishigori is Charon, Original Male Character is Minthe, Original Male Character is Yuuri's Ex, Phichit is Thanatos, Role Reversal, Viktor is Persephone, Yuuri is Hades
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28425852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretkeeper18/pseuds/secretkeeper18
Summary: Yuuri's ex, Minthe, comes for a visit.Viktor, fresh from his coronation, is less than impressed.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Series: Reverse Hades/Persephone AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779895
Comments: 8
Kudos: 120





	Mentha

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my [RedBubble](https://www.redbubble.com/people/secretstickerz/shop?asc=u) page for fun Fandom Stickers!

Logically, Viktor knew that Yuuri had and currently has a number of suitors; he was a handsome, powerful god, King of the Underworld, and the God of Wealth. While most of Olympus was fearful of the Underworld, there were still a number of minor gods and nymphs that resided in Yuuri’s realm. Still, this was an inconsequential fact, given Yuuri’s reluctance to tell Viktor about any previous relationships or consorts that he might have had, no matter how much he asked. So, Viktor put it in the back of his mind, deeming it of no importance.

Until today, it would seem.

“Yuuri,” Charon said, entering the chambers hurriedly. He looked a little frantic and frazzled, bowing his head slightly at him. “I- um, well…”

“Nishigori,” Yuuri soothed, smiling a little, “calm down, what is it?”

Nishigori lifted his head, eyes flickering between Yuuri and Viktor, who was sitting on the armrest of Yuuri’s throne and leaning on Yuuri’s shoulder.

“I won’t be mad,” Yuuri added with a teasing sort of smile, sensing his nervousness. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing wrong, per se.” Nishigori winced. “Um, Minthe is requesting an audience with you.”

Viktor didn't recognize the name, but it was clear that everyone else did. The reaction was instantaneous; the smile disappeared from Yuuri’s face, replaced with a grimace. Viktor glanced over to where the Furies stood, on either side of their thrones. Minako was scowling, face screwed up in annoyance. Mari, who always looked stoic, scoffed. Even Yuuko, who was normally all smiles, was frowning.

“Um,” Viktor ventured, cautiously, “who’s Minthe?”

Everyone simultaneously winced. Yuuri reached for Viktor’s hand, forcing a smile.

“No one important, love,” he said, gently. “Just…” He hesitated here, averting his eyes.

“He wanted to get in Yuuri’s pants,” Phichit said, bluntly, as he entered the room with a scowl. Everyone turned to face the God of Death, mildly surprised by his appearance. He was normally so busy that he rarely entered the palace, but he seemed to have arrived just in time for the growing tensions about this Minthe.

“Phichit,” Yuuri said, sharply, in a tone that made Viktor think that they had had this argument before. “He was perfectly polite-”

“Until you told him you had responsibilities to uphold and couldn’t just play around with him, and he couldn't take no for an answer.” Phichit huffed. Yuuri's lips pursed into a thin line, but he said nothing.

Viktor was reeling from the new information. “Wait, wait,” he sputtered, holding a hand up. His brain finally caught up. “Are you saying that this Minthe is your _ex_?”

Yuuri was squirming, Viktor realized. The King of the Underworld was blushing, nervously shifting in his throne, and refusing to make eye contact with Viktor. In any other situation, Viktor would have found it cute. 

“Well, I guess,” he finally admitted. “It was a fling, really. Not even a real relationship, and it was so long ago. I’m not even sure what he wants now.”

“I tried to send him away,” Nishigori told him, “but he insisted I ask you.”

“You should hear him out,” Viktor found himself saying, despite the growing feeling of unease in his chest. This earned him several surprised looks from the rest of the court, Yuuri included.

“Are you sure, love?” Yuuri asked, looking at him with wide, warm brown eyes. He sounded hesitant, but was looking up at Viktor so earnestly that he steeled himself and nodded firmly.

“Of course,” Viktor said, forcing a congenial smile. “You listen to all of your subjects; he should be no different.”

Phichit made a face. “But he is,” he grumbled.

“Phichit, he’s right,” Yuuri said, giving Viktor a wide, proud smile. “My queen is always keeping me in check.” Viktor beamed back, the knot in his stomach loosening a bit. Yuuri's smile always made his heart skip a beat. 

Phichit's shoulders slumped, and Viktor knew the God of Death had relented. Yuuri's Furies, on the other hand, were not quite as convinced.

“Yuuri, are you sure?” Minako asked, warily. “I mean, are you sure you should be showing that _he_ has any say in court?” She spat out "he" like it was a dirty word.

Viktor furrowed his eyebrows in that. _What had this Minthe done that warranted that kind of a reaction?_ he wondered. _Surely nothing that bad if Yuuri was willing to hear him out._

Yuuri, however, seemed to take her caution seriously. “Tell him to wait for court to finish,” he decided, “and I will see him in the gardens afterwards.”

“I’ll go,” Viktor offered. “I can just wait in the gardens with him while you finish up here, love.”

Yuuri frowned. “You don’t have to-” he began to protest, but Viktor had already made up his mind. He was sliding off of Yuuri’s throne, leaning in only to peck his husband on the lips. Yuuri accepted it, but was still looking up at him in concern.

“I’ll be fine,” Viktor promised, with a laugh. “It’s just some ex.”

Yuuri relaxed a bit at Viktor’s calm demeanor. “You are the queen,” he agreed, a smile tugging on his lips. “I trust you.”

Viktor beamed, kissing him again before reluctantly pulling away. He and Nishigori exited the throne room, but he stopped him before they could part ways.

“I’m going to retrieve our… guest.” Nishigori’s lips twisted into a scowl. It was an unfamiliar sight for the usually friendly ferryman. “I should warn you though, Minthe’s a little…” He trailed off, in search for a particular word. Eventually, he settled on, “...crazy.”

Viktor chuckled. “I will be _fine_ ,” he assured him. “I’ll be in the gardens. Just send him in.”

Nishigori looked like he wanted to say something, but swallowed his words in favor of simply nodding. “Alright,” he said, finally. “I will. Good luck.” He muttered the last part, grimacing.

Viktor shrugged it off, turning and walking the opposite way down the corridor toward the courtyard. He sighed in contentment at the familiar sight of the garden. Since returning to the Underworld following their wedding and Yuuri’s coronation, they hadn’t had much time to really relax in the garden like they used to. Between Viktor’s own coronation as Queen of the Underworld, figuring out his own duties, and generally trying to readjust to living in the Underworld again, there hadn’t been much free time to check up on the garden they had created together nearly a year ago now. It had, luckily, been taken care of by the Furies and Nishigori while Viktor and Yuuri were in the mortal world, retaining its colorful and, ironically enough, lively beauty when they returned for the winter.

He hummed to himself, inspecting the asphodel[1] flowers, blooming under the pomegranate tree. They were growing beautifully, recovering quickly after they had taken Makkachin out for a walk and she had trampled the flowers in her excitement. Viktor smiled softly to himself, heart warming at the memory. He waved a hand over them and watched them bloom even more, crinkles smoothening out and the lost petals regrowing with ease. 

“So you must be the infamous Persephone,” a voice said from the entrance of the garden. 

Viktor turned to face the naiad, Minthes. He was lithe and thin, shorter than Yuuri was when he was in the Mortal World. He was attractive, Viktor grudgingly admitted to himself, with delicate facial features and bright blue eyes. His brown hair was about shoulder length, though tied back in a ponytail. He wore a thin, white chiton that left little to the imagination and revealed smooth, pale skin. 

“You must be Minthe.” Viktor collected himself and offered a polite smile. “My husband is still in court, currently-“

“Husband,” Minthe repeated, his lip curling a little. 

Viktor’s smile turned frosty. “Husband,” Viktor agreed, eyeing the guest with sharp eyes. “And co-ruler. As of a season ago.”

Minthe scoffed. “A season ago? He will be bored of you soon enough, then.”

Viktor bit back a snarl. “Oh,” he said, as nonchalantly as possible. “I doubt that.”

“You believe the Lord of the Dead has any desire to take on more responsibilities?” Minthe said, with a cruel laugh. “You are as naive as they say. Lord Hades has his own priorities here in the Underworld, you distract him with your trivial matters in the mortal realm.”

Viktor narrowed his eyes, trying to ignore the clench in his chest. Logically, he knew Yuuri loved their time spent in the Spring months in Viktor’s realm, but he had always been concerned that Yuuri missed his home while they were away.

He shook his head, then. Perhaps when they had first met, Viktor might have bought into Minthe’s harsh words and sneering lies, but Viktor knew his husband, perhaps better than anyone. Yuuri, who had commissioned an entire throne for Viktor before they even wedded officially. Yuuri, who had been known as a workaholic for centuries before Viktor began living with him and he willingly took breaks and made time for him. Yuuri, Viktor’s husband and king.

Viktor laughed, humorlessly. It echoed throughout the garden, bouncing off the palace walls.

“You hardly know Yuu- Lord Hades at all, then,” Viktor said, smoothly. “He’s never even mentioned you before today.”

That got a reaction out of him.

“The same fate that will befall you, wait and see.” Minthe scowled. “He deserves a queen that will not split his attention,” he snarled. 

Viktor laughed again, cold and disbelieving. “And you think yourself fit for such a role?” he asked, genuinely amused. 

Minthe straightened a bit, puffing out his chest and lifting his chin like a peacock. “I am a naiad of the river Cocytus,” he declared, “I understand how the Underworld works, my powers stem from it. This is my domain. You? You are weak here. And you make Yuuri weak for it too.”

Viktor’s eyes flashed dangerously. He could care less about this random nymph insulting him, but insulting Yuuri, and calling him by such a casual name, was off the table. 

“I’m weak, am I?” Viktor chuckled. “Well, let me show you just how weak I am here in _your_ domain.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, Viktor, Court took much longer than expected,” Yuuri said, as he entered the gardens. He expected to find Viktor talking, if not strangling, the nymph. He knew how easily Minthe could get on people’s last nerves, and Viktor was hardly one for restraint. He had been initially afraid of walking in on a bloodbath if the foolish nymph had managed to say the wrong thing in front of his queen. 

Instead, Viktor was on his knees, tending to a plant besides the asphodels. He was humming quietly, interspersed with a few soft, half-heard spells that sounded as if they were memorized by rote, now. 

“Viktor,” Yuuri said, approaching his husband. “Where is Minthe?”

Viktor turned around now, smiling sweetly. “Yuuri!” he chirped, standing and brushing the dirt off his clothes and hands. He reached out and pulled Yuuri close, pressing his lips to his.

Yuuri accepted the kiss, of course. Eventually, he broke away, still confused. “Viktor, is Minthe still here?”

Viktor shrugged innocently. “He must have left,” he said.

“Must have,” Yuuri repeated. “You didn’t see him leave?”

“No, no,” Viktor replied. “I just blinked and he was gone.”

“Oh, well, that's a relief.” Yuuri said, a bit surprised. His tense shoulders relaxed and he smiled up at Viktor, whose eyes flashed.

"What did he do to you?" he asked, in a casual tone that Yuuri recognized at Viktor trying to maintain his calm demeanor. "I know what Phichit said, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Yuuri treaded carefully. "Not much to tell, really. Perhaps I was interested for a time, but he never seemed to understand that my duties took precedence. He wanted to run away and slack off all the time, but my position and duties as God of the Underworld is important to me. He never understood my responsibilities for my realm, for my Court... but you do, Viktor, and I love you for that."

Viktor practically melted like putty in his hands. He kissed him again, softer this time.

"Well," Viktor said, sounding more cheery than before, "that's a good thing to hear, since our conversation was quite... straightforward."

Yuuri stiffened a little bit. He recognized that tone of voice. Haltingly, he asked, “Did Minthe say something to you?” He sighed. "He never could watch his tongue, it's why I never let him around my Court."

Viktor shrugged again, this time draping himself around Yuuri while pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Nothing much,” Viktor promised, dismissively. “I dealt with it, though. I don’t think we’ll be hearing from Minthe again.”

Out of habit, Yuuri glanced at the ground. After being crowned queen, plants began to respond better to Viktor even while in the Underworld. Yuuri wasn’t sure if it was his magic or Viktor’s, but either way, the ground had begun sprouting flowers in response to Viktor’s emotions, much like while they were in Viktor’s garden.

White chrysanthemums[2] were growing slowly, twirling them around Yuuri’s ankles and brushing up against Viktor’s feet. Despite the reassurance that Viktor wasn’t outright lying, Yuuri couldn’t help but feel that he was missing something.

“Okay,” Yuuri said, still lost and bewildered, but willing to trust Viktor anyways. If it was important, he would have told him. “I’m surprised he left, though, after insisting on speaking to me personally. He's stubborn, and usually always gets what he wants.”

Viktor hummed in acknowledgement. He pressed another kiss to his cheek. “Well,” he murmured, his breath hot in Yuuri’s ear. “So do I.”

Yuuri shuddered, practically melting under his husband’s touch. “That you do,” he agreed, his voice also dropping to a low whisper. Yellow jonquils[1] began blooming nearby, little yellow buds of sunshine in the dark Underworld that Yuuri had grown so accustomed to before Viktor.

Viktor smiled, smug and triumphant like the cat that caught the canary. “Bed, love?” he asked.

Yuuri agreed readily, cheeks flushed. Viktor took him by the hand and began leading them away from the plant that he had been tending to. Yuuri glanced back only once, curious despite himself as to what the plant was. 

Sitting under the large pomegranate tree was a lone mint plant.

**Author's Note:**

> Excerpt from _The Language of Flowers_ by Victoria Otto  
> 1Asphodel: remembered beyond the tomb [return to text]  
> 2White Chrysanthemum: truth and loyal love [return to text]
> 
> 3Jonquil: desire [return to text]


End file.
